The US-European shipping archive of The Widow Bermingham & Sons. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A lock of Michael Collins hair, a large Tara brooch, the first edition of the 1843-44 Ordnance Survey Atlas of Co. Limerick, a Historic Guide to the White House, 1963 signed by John F. Kennedy, a 1912 Louth All Ireland football winners medal, a first printing of de Valera’s new Constitution signed by the cabinet and a rare lady’s blue shirt uniform all feature at Fonsie Mealy’s rare book and collectors sale in Castlecomer on July 28 and 29.
Sales like this offer all kinds of everything, from Jack B Yeats illustrations to rare Harry Potter editions, a heavy Webley .44 revolver believed to have belonged to John MacBride, an Irish 20 pence trial piece coin from 1985 and a collection of long playing records signed by Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Roy Rogers and Frankie Laine.
A lock of Michael Collins’s hair. UPDATE: THIS MADE 4,400
The early US/European 19th century maritime shipping papers of the St. Sebastian Basque trading company for The Widow Bermingham & Sons is, at €7,000-€10,000, the most expensively estimated lot. The Berminghams were a prominent Galway family, some of whom emigrated to San Sebastian to establish a shipping agency. These original, unresearched papers from 1800-14 provide details of the issues faced by early shipping entrepreneurs during the Napoleonic Wars and the Barbary War.
The Blueshirts – the paramilitary organisation of the Irish Free State many of whose members went on to fight for the nationalists in Spain – did not have women on board. Membership was subsequently opened to those who had not served in the armed forces but the woman’s blue shirt with elasticated waist, Fine Gael badge and Army Comrades insignia is an extremely rare item (€3,000-€4,000).
The lock of hair was given after the death of Michael Collins to his friend Felix Cronin and is estimated at €5,000-€7,000. A veteran of the War of Independence and the Civil War he married Kitty Kiernan three years after the death of Collins in 1922. Lot 634 is a collection of eight Irish army brass uniform buttons complete with a letter from Michael Collins Powell to General O’Duffy dated 27/1/33 asking for a receipt for the enclosed: “found in Michael’s pocket, August 22nd, 1922”. Mary Collins Powell was a sister of Michael Collins. The estimate is €7,000-€10,000.
A large Tara Brooch in 18 carat gold UPDATE: THIS MADE 6,000
A large Tara brooch in 18 carat gold by Hopkins and Hopkins, Dublin is estimated at €5,000-€6,000. It belonged to Alice Milligan, poet and playwright and founder of the influential Shan Van Vhoct periodical.
A copy of Some Experiences of an Irish R M and other books by Edith Somerville and signed by her in 1948 are estimated at €120-€180. Collectors interested in travel will be interested in an 1825 book entitled The Pleasure Tours in Ireland (€160-€220), an 1812 book of Illustrations of the Scenery of Killarney and the Surrounding Country (€150-€200), Vanishing Dublin by Flora Mitchell (€200-€300), Life in the West of Ireland by Jack B. Yeats (€400-€600) and a good album of 300 original postcards of Cork city, Bandon, Queenstown, Crosshaven and Ballycotton (€600-€800).
The catalogue with 831 lots is online and there will be viewing in Castlecomer from 1 pm to 5 pm tomorrow and from 10 am to 5 pm on Monday. Sales are at 11 am sharp on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A first Australian edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,150 AT HAMMER
